981 failed mot - ball joints

[ATM]

With my 5 litre powered tool cabinet.

[kev b]

A big thumbs up for persisting and getting the job done ATM.

I dont want to appear all health and safety but when you do the rear you really ought to have something under the feet of those axle stands in case they should start sinking into the tarmac and tip over whilst you are under there.

Good luck with the rears.

[ATM]

kev b said:

A big thumbs up for persisting and getting the job done ATM.

I dont want to appear all health and safety but when you do the rear you really ought to have something under the feet of those axle stands in case they should start sinking into the tarmac and tip over whilst you are under there.

Good luck with the rears.

Easy tiger - I'm only doing one rear. One front and one rear both passenger side.

Thanks for the safety tip. I was quite careful. I never really got under the car at all. Just stuck my head into the arch above the brake disc. If the car did fall I assumed my back would just have to bend an extra 12 inches - surely that's possible right - maybe not if I'm a powerfully built PH type.

I borrowed the axle stands as I don't have any. My mate kept the sturdier looking ones which had much better looking feet come to think of it.

Yeah I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself overall. Nackered but pleased.

Even if I had ordered 2 arms instead of just the one there's no way I'd be tackling the next one today even though the weather looks nice again.

[IanG1]

ATM said:

Yes that splitter was exactly what I used thanks.

No heat and no tapping but I thought the splitter was going to break.

Inner bolt was 18 and 18.

Tuning fork bolt was 21 and 21.

Thats why your splitter nearly broke, they are not designed to simply tighten and see what gives first? Lube the bolt thread, apply pressure without overstressing then apply heat and tap the carrier/apply penetrating spray and repeat. You will find each time the bolt will tighten a bit more until it eventually goes with a bang. I broke a splitter once then an old mechanic friend I know laughed and showed me how to do it properly. More finesse and less brute force and I haven't broken one since.

[DJMC]

Out of interest, is it possible to keep the old arm and just replace the components pressed into it?

I have a vision of Ed China opening a packet he's received in the post with the "push in parts" and showing us how to remove the old ones and press in the new.

I guess this is possible on a lot of cars except... Porsche?

[ATM]

DJMC said:

Out of interest, is it possible to keep the old arm and just replace the components pressed into it?

I have a vision of Ed China opening a packet he's received in the post with the "push in parts" and showing us how to remove the old ones and press in the new.

I guess this is possible on a lot of cars except... Porsche?

The bushes look fine. I've no idea how they get the ball joint in there in the first place but I guess it's possible.

Lots of info on line about how to change the bushes on a 9x6 arm for something stiffer but nothing about the ball joint AFAIK.

[Slippydiff]

ATM said:

Easy tiger - I'm only doing one rear. One front and one rear both passenger side.

Thanks for the safety tip. I was quite careful. I never really got under the car at all. Just stuck my head into the arch above the brake disc. If the car did fall I assumed my back would just have to bend an extra 12 inches - surely that's possible right - maybe not if I'm a powerfully built PH type.

I borrowed the axle stands as I don't have any. My mate kept the sturdier looking ones which had much better looking feet come to think of it.

Yeah I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself overall. Nackered but pleased.

Even if I had ordered 2 arms instead of just the one there's no way I'd be tackling the next one today even though the weather looks nice again.

Blocks of wood, that's what you need. Safe as houses
Top tip, when using a balljoint splitter, wind some tension on (and leave the nut on the balljoint, flush with the top of the thread) and if you can get to it, which is tricky with the brake disc, caliper and hub in the way, hold a hammer head (or get someone to hold it for you), firmly behind the arm where the ball joint goes through it, and hit the other side with another hammer, it'll break the taper on the balljoint quickly and easily.

[Slippydiff]

DJMC said:

Out of interest, is it possible to keep the old arm and just replace the components pressed into it?

I have a vision of Ed China opening a packet he's received in the post with the "push in parts" and showing us how to remove the old ones and press in the new.

I guess this is possible on a lot of cars except... Porsche?

They were the bushes that go in the inner end of the coffin arm and the caster arm bushes that go a third of the way along it's length, not the balljoints. However, I'm sure Baz at Hartech does refurbished arms with replacement balljoints fitted. The balljoints are pressed in IIRC.

[ATM]

Slippydiff said:

They were the bushes that go in the inner end of the coffin arm and the caster arm bushes that go a third of the way along it's length, not the balljoints. However, I'm sure Baz at Hartech does refurbished arms with replacement balljoints fitted. The balljoints are pressed in IIRC.

I think Baz used to charge 95 quid for refurbed 9x6 arms. I've just bought another new TRW arm for less than 95 delivered.

[Jim1556]

Nothing to add really, but any time I do brake or suspension work, I use the removed wheel as a safety stop (on it's side, next the the jack), so if the jack fails, the wheel would prevent crush injuries. Obviously, not really applicable on a little Kia with 155 wide tyres, but my cars are 225-235 at minimum - enough of a safety margin...

[Slippydiff]

ATM said:

I think Baz used to charge 95 quid for refurbed 9x6 arms. I've just bought another new TRW arm for less than 95 delivered.

I suspect TRW were still bound by Porsche AG's original supply contract, and thus weren't able to sell to the likes of Euro car parts etc. My guess is the 996 coffin arms probably retailed at £250 a pop back then, so paying Baz £95 for a refurbed item was considerably cheaper than buying new.

[ATM]

My new TRW arm arrived the same as the front one. I got started and took the old on off. Bad news. The new one doesn't fit. Can you see in the pic how the bushing for the tuning fork is a lot thinner on the old arm. Whoever told me the rears are basically the same as 9x6 and 9x7 arms may have been right. The annoying thing is the alloy casting has the same part number on it. So I assumed it is the same part.

I thought about trying to bend then tuning fork but then thought better of it.

[ATM]

Slippydiff said:

ATM said:

Another 2 hours and the new one is on. Only thing I broke was this headlight level sensor maybe - or is it important like for yaw or what not?

Well done !!

It's the headlamp level sensor linkage (assuming you have xenons)

Interestingly there is a similar bracket to this in the rear arm too. Surely there can't be another headlamp level sensor at the back too or is this for something else?

[ATM]

Let's see if this fits

[ATM]

Rear arm has a standard looking concentric nut setup with a 19 and an 18

[ATM]

ATM said:

Slippydiff said:

ATM said:

Another 2 hours and the new one is on. Only thing I broke was this headlight level sensor maybe - or is it important like for yaw or what not?

Well done !!

It's the headlamp level sensor linkage (assuming you have xenons)

Interestingly there is a similar bracket to this in the rear arm too. Surely there can't be another headlamp level sensor at the back too or is this for something else?

Here you can see the bracket or level sensor I'm talking about. I managed to prise it off am the arm without damaging it and left in situ. That's the whole where the arm was.

[ATM]

Here the new arm is on and very shiny. The Meyle arms come painted I presume. You can see the bracket for the level sensor isn't quite attached in the first one. I reset the camber as best I could using good old guess work - well I did take some pics before I pulled everything apart.

[ATM]

MOT today and remembered this bracket was still off the car. Bodged it with a nut and bolt.